New Outpourings of the Holy Spirit
Cardinal Ratzinger, Ignatius Press >>> 

The Holy Spirit above pastoral plans.

"... even the bishops have to be told that they should not indulge in any pursuit of uniformity in their pastoral arrangements or planning. They should not set up their own pastoral plans as a yardstick of what the Holy Spirit is allowed to do: the Churches could quite possibly become impermeable to the Spirit of God through sheer planning, impermeable to the power from which they live. It should not be the case that everything has to take its place within a single system of
organization; far better less organization and more Spirit!. Above all, there must not be a concept of "communion" in which the avoidance of conflict becomes the prime pastoral value. Faith is always also a sword and may indeed promote conflict for the sake of truth and love (see Mt 10:34)."  -pg. 59. Address to bishops, May, 1998.

 

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